The Keys to Her Heart
by a-lady-to-me
Summary: Modern A/U - Anna is feeling the pressures of planning her and John's wedding. To ease some of her burden John takes over one very important aspect of their future, and hopes he makes a decision that will make her happy.


A/N: I wrote this as a response to my good friend Terrie's Saturday Banna Fic Challenge on Tumblr. It got a good response, and I am really pleased with how it turned out so I thought I would post it here too. Hope you all enjoy it! xo

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

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Planning a wedding had been a much greater task than Anna had ever anticipated. She would have been pleased with just a small ceremony with only her and John's closest friends and family, but the royal fit her mother and sister had thrown told her that wouldn't be happening. John had scolded her for giving in, saying it was her day and it should be what she wanted it to be. That he would marry her however, whatever, whenever. But Anna couldn't stand the idea of anyone being disappointed in her, especially her family, and John supported her.

From the flowers to the band, the cake, the dress, the hall, and the caterer. Even with help it was all much too overwhelming for her to handle. One night it hit her that she'd failed to think of one very important thing; where they were going to live together after the wedding. The anxiety had piled on her for so long that this one realization had sent her clear over the edge. Luckily John had been there to comfort her, as he always was, and she thanked God for him.

"Anna please," he whispered in her hair as he held her in his arms on his couch. "Leave this to me. You have so much to deal with already, I'll take care of deciding where we live."

She'd been a bit nervous about handing over something so crucial, but she had no choice but to leave this in his capable hands, and she set her focus solely on the wedding.

A few months later, just a week shy of the big day, John called Anna asking if they could meet for lunch. Thankfully, she had a break in her schedule and allowed herself to relax and be excited about the prospect of some alone with her fiancé. John had given her an address, stating it was a new place in town that he wanted to try. She held the paper in her hand as she drove, and her brow creased in confusion as she approached a row of houses instead of a block of shops and restaurants.

Her curiosity peaked when she saw John standing outside of one of the houses, hands in his pockets, and her favorite smile on his face.

_Could it be?_

She parked in the driveway and John opened her door for her with a flourish.

"Good day to you My Lady." He said with an air of sophistication, kissing her hand. She couldn't help the giggle that escaped her.

"And just what is all this Mr. Bates?" She laughed, threading their fingers together between them.

His face turned slightly nervous as he fished around in his pocket with his free hand. "Well..." He held out a set of keys to her. "This, my beautiful Anna, is our new home."

Anna gasped. In the back of her mind she thought they would move into one of their flats until they got settled into married life. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine that he would buy them a house. A new place to call their own.

"How?" Was all she could manage as a response. Her eyes full of tears which seemed to prevent her from saying much else.

"I sold my Mother's house in London, and I had some money set aside."

"But John…" He stopped her protests with a passionate kiss; the kind that always melted her completely.

"Now darling, there's no use protesting now. It's all done and settled. I only hope I picked the right one, and that you love it as much as I did when I first saw it." She could hear the nervous tension in his voice.

"I have no doubt that I will." She smiled, easing some of his worry.

He led her to the front door, allowing her to do the honors of unlocking it and pushed the door open for her to enter first. She immediately fell in love. Everything she'd ever imagined her home to be, this was it. A simple entry way that led them into a bright and open kitchen. A spacious sitting area, with empty built in shelves that just begged to be lined with books. The garden was not too big, but not too small, just the right size for them to grow into. The house was empty of any furnishings, but she could easily picture them here. He had done his job perfectly.

As she walked through the house into the different bedrooms, she finally found what had to be their room for when she opened the door there was one night stand with a single picture frame, and a long-stemmed red rose on it. She walked towards it, and noticed that it was a picture of her and John from one of their first dates; her favorite picture of them.

She felt the tears well up again, and she did nothing to stop them from flowing. How could she have been so lucky as to find a man so extraordinarily perfect? That he could buy her her dream home without so much as a single ounce of input from her. She hadn't thought it was possible to love him more than she did, but she was proven wrong in this moment.

"Well?" She heard his anxious voice from behind her, and she realized that she'd not spoken a single word since they'd entered the house.

She turned and he saw the tears streaming down her face and approached her quickly.

"Anna, why are you crying? Do you hate it? We can find somewhere else, I promise…."

"No John, no. Don't you dare think of taking my house away from me." They laughed together, and the relief that emanated from him was palpable. "It's…..it's more perfect than I ever could have imagined. Thank you. Thank you so much John." Her sobs of pure joy broke her words, and John gathered her in his arms and held her tight.

"I love you Anna, and I can't wait for us to start our lives here. To fill this house with children, watch them grow and play in the garden...to grow old together. Loving you and our family will become my life's work, and it will be the greatest joy of my life."

There were no more words that were needed in this moment, except her whispered chorus of I love you's, that were intermingled with a series of kisses that consumed them as they stood in the midst of their future...together.


End file.
